Monthly Archives January 2015

76% of employers notice pensions auto-enrolment admin burden More than three-quarters (76%) of staged employers are now noticing an administrative burden caused by the impact of pensions auto-enrolment, according to research by Close Brothers Asset Management. Its latest Business barometer survey, which surveyed more than 400 UK employers, found that this is an increase of 7% since September 2014. In addition, 45% of respondents are now seeking to review their auto-enrolment processing system, up from 43% in September. Of these, 32% plan to review their systems within the next year. A further 5% will also review their system if they change payroll provider. The researchRead More

The rules on employing ex-offenders Public opinion is driving Ched Evans’ future but employers must follow set principles The controversy surrounding the football clubs who have attempted to sign Ched Evans, the former Sheffield United striker convicted of rape, highlights the difficulties of recruiting a high profile personality with a conviction. In his case, the impact of sponsors, fans and public opinion were relevant, and while this won’t happen in most employment situations, there are many issues that employers do need to be aware of in the law relating to employing ex-offenders. Offenders The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 introducedRead More

The time has come to communicate auto enrolment…better A survey conducted by Sage UK found that only one in 100 independent financial advisers believe small businesses are well prepared for automatic enrolment, and just one in five (21%) agreed that small firms were aware of the legislation, writes Matthew Mitten, director of Enrolsme. Given the fact that many small businesses will need to comply over the next few years, or face heavy fines for not doing so, I find these stats, and the general lack of awareness when it comes to the legislation concerning. Auto-enrolment is here to stay andRead More

Act now on Childcare Vouchers Are you looking to provide an employee benefits scheme? Act now to ensure your employees can take advantage of current schemes before they are no longer available! Tax-free childcare will see the Government subsidising 20% of an employee’s childcare costs, providing a saving of up £2,000 per child, each year. To access these savings, parents must spend £8,000 per year. The current Childcare Voucher system can save each parent up to £933 per year for an outlay of only £2,916, therefore many parents will be better off continuing to use Childcare Vouchers, such as thoseRead More

Young people not engaged in pensions, poll finds Eight out of ten 18-29-year-olds don’t understand pensions and most would prefer to save money to buy their first home rather than for their retirement, a Barnett Waddingham poll has found. Its Helping Hands survey of over 850 people measures generational attitudes and perspectives towards saving among three different age groups: 18-20 year olds, 30-49 year olds and 50+ year olds. Of these, the firm said the youngest group appeared most ‘disengaged’ with saving, with 81% saying they do not understand pensions and 40% saying they have never heard of auto-enrolment. ARead More

How do you Motivate your Employees through the January Blues? It’s no surprise that January heralds the time for people to reflect on their lifestyle, after the excesses of Christmas have died down. For many, this might mean joining a gym or looking for a new challenge at work, for others it could signal the start of a new career. As a result, keeping staff motivated and loyal during the festivities – and beyond – can be a challenge for employers, with many turning to incentives schemes to help. With research showing that two in five people will look forRead More